There's a new genre in town and it's called "sensory fiction." Researchers from MIT have developed a book that, in conjunction with a wearable device, allows you to feel what the protagonist is feeling.
The system, the brainchild of Felix Heibeck, Alexis Hope, and Julie Legault, creates an immersive experience by sending discrete signals to the wearable device, which is worn like a vest.
The book itself contains 150 programmable LEDs that create ambient light based on changing setting and mood. It also produces sound. The vest can generate heat to change skin temperature, and vibrate as a way to influence heart heart. It also features a compression system to convey tightness or loosening via pressurized airbags.
The prototype, an augmented book called "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," demonstrates the system's capabilities. The story conveys feelings like love and despair. The book senses the page that's being read, and changes the ambient lighting and vibration to match the mood.
Sure, it's a bit primitive and clunky, but it's a definite precursor to more advanced techniques. The future's gonna be all about increased levels of immersion and interaction.
[ h/t DesignBoom | Images scifi2scifab]
onlinecollegedegreee.blogspot.com A book that actually lets you feel what you're reading